


Return to Sender

by nicky_writes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Sex, F/M, my first time writing a long Luke fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-08-31 11:56:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8577625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicky_writes/pseuds/nicky_writes
Summary: You mean to send an essay to your friend to proofread, but instead you end up sending it to a mystery person with an email address only one character off from hers. Eventually, you find out that this mystery person is named Luke Skywalker, and you two become pen pals after an exchange of more awkward emails. As you become closer to this man you've never met, you find yourself starting to fall for someone whose face you've never even seen. That is, until one fateful day...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So this is my first time writing something this long for Luke. I really hope y'all like it! If you want to send me messages about it, my tumblr is nickywritesimagines. Feel free to talk to me any time, and I sincerely hope you enjoy this!

“Hey, Lora! Thanks again for agreeing to read this - I owe you one! Also, while you’re at it, can you tell me if the fourth paragraph sounds like it’s worded weirdly? I think the grammar is correct, but something doesn’t sound right when I read it out loud.  
You’re the best! I’ll see you tomorrow at the cafe.  
-(Y’N)”

With that, you hit send, internally heaving a sigh of relief. You were currently enrolled in Ancient Civilizations, one of the most soul-crushing courses you’d taken yet. Sure, you found it interesting, but it was still extremely difficult, and you needed to get at least an 80 on this essay to keep your overall grade up. 

Honestly, you thought that this essay was one of the best you’d ever written. But you were still thankful that Lora, one of your new friends you’d made in the class, had agreed to proofread it for you. Sitting back in bed with a pint of ice cream, you tapped your feet and put on some Netflix as you waited for her response. 

About a half hour later, your computer dinged, signalling a new email. Sitting up straighter, you opened up Lora’s response, only to find a puzzling reply. 

“Hey! So… I am not Lora, but I read over your essay and it sounds pretty good. And interesting! ...Was that creepy of me? I’m sorry. In any case, I corrected a few grammar mistakes I saw. And paragraph four is great! Don’t worry about it.  
Have a good night, and, again, I apologize if I overstepped any boundaries.  
-’Not Lora’”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you read over the message again before opening your paper back up. Like the mystery person had indicated, you could see a few places where minor changes had been made to fix it, and you couldn’t help but feel grateful to whoever it was that had helped you out. They hadn’t even known you, but they’d read your boring analysis on the Sumerians. 

Wondering how you’d even managed to email this person, you looked down at the note Lora had scribbled down in your notebook that day. On it was her email address: L_A_S1995@emailing.com. Frowning, you looked back at the email you’d sent your message to, and you realized your mistake. You’d messaged L-A-S-1993@emailing.com instead. Rolling your eyes, you berated yourself for your carelessness before turning back to the laptop, considering your options. 

Biting your lip, you contemplated whether or not to email the person back. Would it be weird to respond to them? After all, they were basically a stranger. But after thinking about it for a while, you decided to go ahead and do it, at least to say thank you. 

“Hello, ‘Not Lora’. First of all, thank you for helping me with my essay. You didn’t have to do that by any means, but I appreciate it very much! And it’s ok - you don’t have to say it was interesting. I know that ancient Sumerians and their systems of agriculture aren’t the most exciting thing to read about.  
Anyways, I also wanted to apologize. I meant to email my friend Lora, obviously, but your email addresses are only one letter off from each other’s, and I made a mistake. Anyways! Thanks again, and if you ever would like someone to proofread something for you, I’d love to return the favor.  
‘Till then, take care! And thanks again.  
-(Y/N)”

 

Relaxing once more against the pillows behind you, you hit send and closed your laptop, suddenly feeling tired. You set your alarm and turned off the lights, laying down and shutting your eyes, mind still swirling around ‘Not Lora’. You wondered who they could be and if they’d ever take you up on your offer. It was to these thoughts that you fell asleep, not knowing that the person who had helped you was replying to your email in that very moment, equally intrigued as you were about the person on the other side of the computer screen.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, (Y/N). It’s ‘Not Lora’ again. Or you can call me Luke like my other friends do. Also, do you go to Coruscant University by any chance? I know it’s a little nosy to ask, but your student email has the same ending as mine. I’m currently enrolled in an engineering program here.  
It was no problem to look over your essay. I do that for my friend Han all the time; my sister is really the one that’s good with English stuff like grammar and spelling, but I know enough about it to be of some use. And honestly, your essay was quite interesting. The Sumerians knew what they were doing!  
Anyways, now that you mention it, I could use a little help with an essay that’s due tomorrow in my Medical Engineering class. A second pair of eyes would be nice, just to make sure everything sounds right. If you’re busy and you can’t, I understand.  
Have a good day!  
-Luke”

 

You couldn’t help but smile as you looked over Luke’s message one more time. You’d woken up at 6 that morning as always, but you hadn’t had time to check your email before hurrying to get to work on time. You were employed by a cafe on campus, where you worked almost every morning until about 11. It wasn’t the funnest job in the world, but you got free coffee, which always helped you to get through the morning rush. 

Now, it was around 9:30, and your manager had given you a 15 minute break to eat some breakfast and help you calm down after an unusually busy morning. Running a hand through your hair exasperatedly, you skimmed over Luke’s report as you sipped your coffee, wincing at its bitterness but knowing that you needed the caffeine.  
You were really surprised to find out that this guy went to the same college as you, especially since the email address you’d been sending to wasn’t his school email. But you were pleasantly surprised by the revelation; Luke seemed nice. Maybe you two could study together at some point, if you two kept in contact. 

From what you were reading, you knew that Luke had to be a genius of some sort. It was hard to understand, between the complicated vocabulary and technical terms, but it sounded as if he’d been working on ways to make prosthetics that allow for movement, connecting somehow to the neurons to interpret the signals the brain sends them with the intention of moving. It mostly flew over your head, but what you could make out sounded very impressive, and you found only a few spelling mistakes, which you corrected before sending it back. 

 

“Woah, Luke, this essay is amazing! And yes, I do go to Coruscant University. I’m in school to become an editor right now. Small world, huh?  
By the way, this report sounds very impressive, and I only found, like, three spelling errors. I know you’ll get a good grade on this!  
Also, your friend Han wouldn’t happen to be around 6 foot tall with brown hair, would he? Always wearing the same vest and jacket? I only ask because I work in a cafe on my school’s campus, and a guy named Han always comes in about twice a day for a large espresso, which he then proceeds to chug until it’s gone before he can even walk back out the door. My coworkers and I are very concerned for his health.  
In any case, good luck with your classes!  
-(Y/N)”

 

With that you hit send before hearing the door to the shop open once more. 

“(Y/N)!” you heard a voice call out. Looking up, you grinned as Lora came trotting into the cafe, heavy book bag perched over her shoulders. 

“Hey, Lora! How’s it going?” you greeted, setting your phone down once you’d hit “send”. 

“Pretty good! Hey, I didn’t get any essay from you last night; did you forget to send it or something?”

“No,” you responded. “Well. Kind of. I sent it, but to the wrong email address. I typed 1993 instead of 1995. But the guy that ended up getting the email was pretty helpful too!” Quickly, you informed your friend of everything that happened, and she grinned at you mischievously as you finished your tale. 

“This sounds like the beginning of a bad rom com,” she joked, causing you to blush and roll your eyes.

“Yeah, right. He was just being nice,” you insisted. Glancing at the clock, you saw that your break was nearing its end, and you stood up, downing the last of your coffee. Throwing the empty cup into the wastebasket, you put your apron back on and motioned for Lora to follow you to the counter. 

After clocking back in, you looked up at your friend, who was perusing the menu that hung on the wall behind you. 

“What are you going to try today?” you asked, smiling. 

“I think… What’s the special?”

“It’s that chocolate banana smoothie you got the other week. You liked it,” you replied. 

“Hm. I want to try something new, though. How about the...Valentine?” she questioned, looking at the odd name on the blackboard. 

“Alright,” you said, starting to make the specialty drink for her. Pouring raspberry flavoring into the paper cup you’d scribbled her name on, you didn’t look up when the door chime signalled someone else had entered the shop until you heard a familiar voice. 

“It’s not my fault your sister hates me,” you heard Han Solo say, and you couldn’t help but smirk. The guy was cocky and came across as being pretty gruff, but you liked him. He was always nice to you when you made his drinks, even if he did act offended when you warned him of overdosing on caffeine. 

“Actually, it kind of is, considering that you goad her on so much,” a new voice responded to him. Curiously, you glanced up as you finished up your friend’s order, almost dropping it when you saw who Han was talking to. 

You’d never seen the boy before, but you instantly felt your eyes being drawn to his blue irises, taking in the way they lit up as he talked to Han. A lazy, relaxed smile was perched on his lips, and a mop of blonde hair topped his head. Distractedly, you handed Lora her coffee and swiped her card, mumbling a “see you later” as she turned around and headed out the door for her next class, seemingly oblivious to your dazzled state. 

“Hey,” Han said, walking up to the register. “I’ll have my regular.” Turning to his friend, he bumped his shoulder against the boy’s. “And what about you, kid? My treat.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he protested, but Han just waved him off impatiently. 

“I know. But I want to. So tell the nice lady your order so I can get my coffee fix,” he snarked. 

Turning to you, the boy grinned and leaned against the counter. 

“I’ve never been here before,” he confessed to you, and you had to focus very hard to hear his voice over the sound of your frantically beating heart. “What’s your favorite?”

“W-well,” you stuttered, clearing your throat and blushing, “I really like the caramel latte. And the scones we have here are pretty good.” 

“Alright, then. Since Han’s buying, I’ll have one of each,” he replied, earning a smack on the head from his friend. Laughing, he shoved Han playfully as you turned away to get the two drinks, starting on the giant espresso first. 

“You know, Han,” the boy grinned, arching his eyebrows, “Your coffee addiction is really getting out of hand.”

“Mind your own business,” his friend grunted. 

“It’s true! The girl that emailed me yesterday works here, and she says that the employees are worried for your health.” 

Upon hearing that, you tripped over the plastic mat on the floor, almost spilling a steaming pot of coffee all over yourself. Gasping, you managed to right yourself without causing any accidents, and your head snapped up to look at the blonde. Could it be…?

“Oh really, Luke? The one that you wrote a bullshit essay for just to give you an excuse to message her again?” Han questioned, raising his eyebrows. “Really, considering how desperate you are, I don’t think I’m the one that needs help in this situation.”

“Leave me alone! I was tipsy and lonely and she seemed nice,” Luke said defensively, looking down at his feet. With his face pointed towards the ground, he didn’t see the way your mouth was hanging open in shock at the exchange, but Han did. Tilting his head to the side, he stepped up to the counter with his card ready. 

“Uh… You ok, there?” he asked, looking over your face - more specifically, the astounded expression on it. 

“U-um… Yes. Yeah, I’m...I’m fine,” you muttered, setting their drinks down quickly. Getting out a scone and wrapping it in paper, you exchanged their orders for Han’s debit card, swiping it with shaky hands as you glanced at Luke through your lashes. 

You couldn’t beleive what you’d heard. Firstly, a small part of you was kind of pissed that Luke was able to crank out beautifully-written, in-depth essays even for something as trivial as sending them to you. Mostly, however, you were surprised that your newest pen pal was so cute. You wanted to find your voice to ask him about it, just to double-check that your assumptions were correct and that he was the boy you’d talked to, but he was collecting his cup and scone before you could find the courage to speak up. 

“All I’m saying, kid,” Han sighed, taking his card back and picking up his coffee, “is that we’ve got to find you a better way of meeting girls.” 

With that, they both headed out the door, leaving you standing there behind the counter, jaw still hanging open as you tried to work through what had just happened.


	3. Chapter 3

It was later that day when Luke emailed you back. Ever since that morning, you’d been sneaking glances at your phone during class, hoping to have received a notification that the blonde had answered your email. And yet no reply came. At least, not until the end of your psychology class. 

“Hey, (Y/N). Yes, that would be my friend Han. We were actually there at the cafe this morning, and I was able to witness him down a huge espresso first-hand. (You’re right; he has a problem.)  
Anyways, thanks yet again for looking over my essay. I really appreciate it! I know engineering can be kind of complex. Also, you mentioned that you’re here to become an editor! That’s exciting. I’m guessing you really like to read? You should stop by the campus bookstore, where I work, when you get a chance. What kind of books do you like to read?  
In any case, I’m typing this email in Advanced Calculus, and Mr. Kenobi is sending me some very not-subtle glares. I’d better get off my phone. I hope to hear from you soon!  
-Luke”

You felt a stupid grin spread across your face as you read through the message, and you looked up to find your own teacher sending you some glares for smiling down at your phone like a lovesick puppy. Blushing, you put your phone away and tried to focus on the lesson, while, in reality, you were just thinking of how you’d respond to the boy. You noticed that, this time, he didn’t ask you to read anything for him, and you felt giddy at the thought of him talking to you just for the sake of talking. 

As soon as your professor dismissed your class, you were out of your chair and headed towards your dorm, having another hour before you were supposed to meet Lora for dinner. And you knew exactly how that hour would be spent. 

Plopping down onto your bed with a huff once you got home, you pulled your laptop out of your bag and opened your email, considering your words carefully as you typed. 

“Hello, Luke! No problem; your essay was kind of complicated, but I can tell that you’re very interested in engineering. The way you described the prosthetics you’re working on was fascinating, and I have no doubt that, one day, your designs will help a lot of people.  
And you are very correct - I love to read. I always have! To answer your question, I like to read all sorts of books. Mostly I stick to fiction, but a good nonfiction novel can hold my attention, depending on what it’s about. Also, as far as fiction goes, I like sci-fi stories a lot. But really, I’m not picky. Do you like to read? I’d hope so, considering you work in a bookstore. I will definitely take you up on that offer, by the way. I’ve been meaning to explore the campus more, and your store will be the first place I venture to!  
(Mr. Kenobi does seem intimidating, by the way. He’s nice enough, from what I can tell, but I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of his glares either.)  
Good luck in class, and I’ll talk to you later!  
-(Y/N)”

 

You hit send with a hammering heart, reading over everything you’d written twice before finally forwarding it to Luke. After it was sent, though, you realized that you hadn’t mentioned the fact you’d seen him in the coffee shop. Smacking yourself on the forehead, you mentally kicked yourself. But, then again, maybe it was a good thing that you’d forgotten to bring it up. You’d acted so shy and awkward after finding out who the blonde boy was, and you didn’t want him to think that you were weird. Sighing, you set your computer to the side and decided that it was time to finally head to the cafeteria. The debate on whether or not to tell him would have to wait until your stomach was full. 

Stepping into the crowded room, you located the back of the line and slowly made your way to the serving stations, picking out your food and paying for it before scanning the tables for a glimpse of your friend. Finally, after a few seconds, you saw her sitting next to a brunette girl, waving you over with a wide smile on her face. 

“Hey, (Y/N)!” she greeted. You returned her smile and sat down across from the girl she was sat next to, who had a polite smile on her face. 

“Hello, Lora,” you replied. 

“This is Leia,” she stated, indicating the brunette beside her. “She’s in my political science class.”

“Nice to meet you,” Leia said, reaching across the table. Smiling wider, you shook her hand, taking note of her firm grip; you could already tell that she was a dominant kind of person, just from the way she held herself, but you weren’t put off by that in any way. It suited her, and her smile was kind as she met your eyes. 

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” you responded. “What are you majoring in?”

“Well, I hope to become a politician someday,” she admitted. 

“Oh,” you said, raising your eyebrows. “That’s interesting. What made you interested in politics?”

“My mom’s a senator. She’s taught me a lot, and I think that I’d be able to make a difference someday,” she explained. Her tone was casual as she said this, but you could tell by the look on her face that she meant every word she said, and you couldn’t help but admire her determination. 

“What about you?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. 

“I want to become an editor,” you stated, causing her eyes to light up. 

“That’s interesting. I-”

“Well, well, well, look what we have here,” a voice behind you drawled. Twisting around, your eyes widened and you gulped when you saw Han Solo and Luke standing behind you. Suddenly, your face got very hot, and your hands started fidgeting where they sat on the table. Drawing them into your lap, you looked back to Leia, who frowned up at Han. 

“Hello, Han,” she sighed exasperatedly. “I see you’ve taken time out of your routine of corrupting my brother with your corrosive influence to talk to me. Wonderful.”

You bit your lip to hold back your laugh at her sarcasm, mentally holding onto the information you’d just learned. So she was Luke’s sister?

“Come on, Leia,” the boy in question laughed. “He’s not that bad.” Looking down to you and Lora, you watched as his eyes lit up in recognition when they fell upon you. 

“Hey, we saw you this morning,” he smiled. “You work at the cafe here, right?”

You felt your traitorous heart flutter upon realizing he’d remembered you, and you felt yourself nod as you looked up into his blue eyes. 

“Y-yeah,” you replied, glancing between him and Han. “You ordered my favorite and you,” you said, pointing to Han, “are the worst caffeine addict I’ve ever seen.”

Throwing his hands up, Han rolled his eyes as Luke chuckled beside him. 

“I told you you have a problem,” Luke laughed. 

“Whatever,” Han sighed. “Why is everyone busting my chops today?”

“Probably because you’re such an easy target,” Leia quipped. There was a smile in her eyes as she said this, though, and you couldn’t help but notice the fond tone in her voice as she addressed the tall man. 

“Psh. Sure. Anyways, Luke and I have some studying to do,” his friend stated, raising one hand in a small wave. “I, personally, am done being verbally attacked this evening. See ya.”

With that, he pulled Luke along with him towards the exit. Your eyes followed their forms as they left, and you bit your lip when you saw Luke send you one last smile over his shoulder as he was dragged out of the cafeteria. 

“So that was your brother?” you asked, trying to keep your tone casual as you asked. Lora shot you a dubious look, though, letting you know that she’d seen how flustered you’d looked when Luke had walked up. 

“Luke? Yeah, he’s my twin,” she replied, taking a bite of the salad she’d ordered for dinner. 

“Twin? I didn’t know you were a twin,” Lora said. 

“Not a lot of people do. Me and Luke don’t really look all that much alike,” she explained. “He shares more of our dad’s features, and I look more like my mom.”

“Are you two close?” you asked, looking down at your plate as you started to eat. 

“I suppose so,” she answered. “We spend a lot of time together; I consider him to be a friend as well as a brother.”

“That’s nice,” Lora said. “I know my brother and I absolutely hate each other. Once, when I was little, he duct taped me to a tree limb.”

With that, Lora launched into her story, sending both you and Leia into a fit of giggles. Time seemed to fly by as you got to talking with your new friend, and you found yourself exchanging stories about your family with the girls in front of you. In fact, you didn’t even realize that the sun had set as you’d been talking, and you had to stifle a yawn when you finally looked down at your phone and saw the time. 

“I’d better head back to my dorm,” you stated, standing up. “I had the morning shift at the cafe today, and I’m already pretty tired.” 

“I should head back, too,” Leia said. “I have a ton of classes to study for. Oh, but wait a second.” Reaching into her purse, the girl pulled out a small notebook and tore out a page, jotting something down onto it before handing it to you. 

“This is my number,” she stated, smiling. “We should hang out some more.”

“I’d like that,” you replied, and you meant every word. You took the paper and waved to the two girls before heading back to your dorm. 

Looking down at the page, you saw “Leia Skywalker” written in a neat, tidy font, and you smiled as you looked up at the sky, the sunset having turned it a deep purple color. 

That night, you went to bed after doing your homework, eyes feeling extremely heavy by the time you’d read the required chapters. You didn’t check your email, but you still felt a small twinge in your chest as you thought about Luke. Hopefully, when you woke up, there would be a new message waiting for you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I'm so sorry that this took so long to update, but I hope you like this chapter! It's short, but Luke and the reader finally "meet"! Let me know what you think in the comments.

“You’re right about Mr. Kenobi; he’s a really good guy. Him and my dad have been friends for years, and I was so glad when I found out I was in his class! But, yeah, his glares are really frightening. And since he’s like an uncle to me, he’s not afraid to call me out in the middle of class for being on my phone.  
Anyways, I’m assuming that you’re a freshman, considering that you say you need to explore the campus more. Am I correct in guessing that? If you are, then I would love to give you a tour of the college sometime; Han and I know all the best spots for studying and hanging out.  
I’ll be working at the store today, so if you email me and it takes a while for me to respond, that’s why. I’ll talk to you soon, though!  
-Luke”

 

You felt your heart give a little twinge as you read through Luke’s email. It had just been sent to you that morning, and it was the first thing you’d read since waking up. You couldn’t get over how nice he was, and knowing that he was so cute just made him even more perfect. 

‘Perfect?’ you thought to yourself. ‘Get a hold of yourself, (Y/N). He’s a normal person with faults and issues. No one is perfect.’

‘Yeah, but he seems pretty damn close to being flawless,’ a traitorous voice in your head spoke up. 

Scoffing, you shook your head, as if to clear your thoughts, and got up to head to the showers. Today was Saturday, which meant a few things. One - you didn’t have any classes. And, two - on this particular Saturday, you didn’t have to work. Three - you were completely caught up on your schoolwork for once, which meant that you literally could do anything you wanted that day. This thought made you smile as you stepped into the shower stall, and your grin only widened when you felt the warm water roll over your shoulders. 

You had to think of something to do with your day, since you had literally no plans. You could stay inside and binge watch some Netflix. Or you could drive into town and explore the local shops. 

‘Or you could go to the bookstore…’ that same voice from earlier said. You blushed, thinking about dropping in to see Luke. He had said that you should stop by sometime. But, by the same token, he hadn’t really known that it was you he was talking to. To his knowledge, the girl he was emailing and the awkward girl from the coffee shop were two different people. 

You knew that you should confess who you were to him, but you didn’t know how he would react. Would he think you were weird for not mentioning it sooner? Would he be disappointed that his pen pal turned out to be so shy? You had no idea, and you puzzled over your dilema as you went through your morning routine for the day. 

Eventually, you decided that he would find out eventually, and that it would be better if he found out from you sooner than later. So you put on your favorite sweater and combed through your hair one more time before grabbing your purse and heading out the door towards the bookstore. 

The tiny shop was actually quite close to your dorm; it was nestled between the library and the cafeteria, and currently it was almost empty, the store’s only occupants being the employees standing behind the checkout desk. And, yes, one of those employees was Luke Skywalker. 

Your heart started beating faster, and you paused outside the shop’s window to watch him for a second before entering. 

He was currently sitting behind the cash register, feet tapping restlessly and hands twisting the end of his shirt. He was wearing dark, tight-fitting jeans, a white t-shirt, and a loose, too-big flannel, the sleeves of which he had to keep pushing up so they wouldn’t hang past his fingers. A name tag was pinned crookedly on his shirt, and a small frown was resting over his face as he drummed his fingers against the counter. 

Gathering your courage, you stepped through the door, a quiet chime signalling your entrance. You watched as the blonde’s head flew up, and his face split into a wide, dazzling grin upon seeing you. 

“Hey!” he called out, straightening in his seat. His feet stopped tapping as he leaned forward, setting his palms flat on the counter. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” you answered, smiling shyly. 

“I’m so glad to see you,” he admitted. “I was about to go crazy just sitting here; we haven’t had any customers all day, and there is absolutely NOTHING to do. You’ve saved me from actually dying of boredom.” 

You laughed and walked up to the counter, leaning a hip against it as you considered the boy in front of you. 

“Well I’m glad I could save you, Luke,” you smiled. 

“Oh, me too,” he replied. After pausing for a second, he bowed his head and smiled sheepishly, looking up at you from under his lashes. “This is incredibly rude, but I just realized that I don’t know your name. I don’t think you were wearing a nametag at the cafe. Believe me, I looked for one.” 

You blushed, flustered by the fact that he’d been curious about you at that first meeting, and you knew that it was now or never, that you had to tell him. Taking a deep breath, you looked into those blue irises and spoke quickly. 

“(Y/N),” you sputtered. “My name is (Y/N). I think I’ve been emailing you for the past few days?” 

Immediately, a look of realization dawned the boy’s face, and that same thousand-watt smile dazzled you once more. 

“(Y/N)? It’s you?” he exclaimed. You nodded, and he stood up and reached over the counter, extending his arms out and pulling you into a hug. You let out a breath of surprise at his sudden actions, but you went with it, blushing furiously as your arms wrapped around his waist in response. 

“I can’t believe it! You were right under my nose, huh?” he chuckled, pulling back and looking over your face all over again, as if seeing your features for the first time. 

“Yeah,” you responded, looking down bashfully. “I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t get a chance to in the coffee shop, and I was too nervous to tell you last night at dinner, so…”

“Don’t worry about it,” he insisted. “It’s fine! I know now, in any case.” He let out a quiet laugh and reached out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N).”

You smiled and settled your palm against his, shaking his hand a few times before letting go. 

“The pleasure is all mine,” you responded. 

“Oh, I highly doubt that,” he drawled, causing you to blush. You looked back down from his smirking face down to your hands. 

“Well... In any case,” you mumbled, “I thought I’d stop by to let you know I’d like to take you up on that offer for a tour.” Your eyes widened a bit, and you wondered where exactly THAT had come from. You’d had no intention of doing such a thing; why had you said that? Had your brain rebelled against you?

Luckily, Luke nodded his head quickly, a pleasant expression over his face. 

“That sounds fun,” he commented. “I have to work today until about 3, but would you like to meet outside my dorm later? We could grab dinner afterwards.” 

“That sounds perfect,” you answered, feeling yourself becoming more and more excited. 

“Alright, then,” he nodded. “It’s a date.” You watched as he pulled some paper out of a notebook behind the counter, and he scribbled something onto it in messy handwriting. 

“This is my address and phone number,” he explained, ripping the page out and handing it to you. “Emailing is great, but texting may be a bit more efficient.”

“Maybe,” you grinned, slipping the paper into your pocket. Looking up, you melted a little upon seeing those baby blues trained on you once more, and you took a step back. 

“Well… I don’t want to distract you from your job any more than I have…” you stated. 

“Oh, believe me, there’s nothing to distract me from. Like I said, you saved me from passing out in a boredom-induced coma,” he assured. He waved a little bit and climbed back onto his stool. “But I understand if you have things you need to go do. I’ll see you around 3, though, right?”

“Right,” you nodded, backing up to the door. “I’ll see you then!” 

With that, you turned and dashed out the door, dazed smile plastered across your face. You didn’t see how Luke’s eyes followed you, and you didn’t hear how his coworker teased him for looking at you like you’d hung the moon in the sky yourself. And you didn’t hear Luke say that he had a good feeling about this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry for taking so long to update. I promise to keep a more regular schedule. :) As always, tell me what you think!

You had to remind yourself to take deep, consistent breaths as you walked to Luke’s dorm, stopping a few times to ask for directions since you’d never been on that side of the campus before. He’d texted you earlier, telling you which building he was in and his room number, followed by a little message that said, “Get ready for the best tour ever :)”. You were proud of the fact that you’d restrained from letting out an undignified squeal upon receiving a text that cute. 

Now, you stood before an old-looking brick building, complete with ivy crawling up the sides of it, hanging in windows and almost covering the plaque by the door that read “Hall J”. Gulping, you stepped in and found the stairs that would lead you to the second story, scanning the doors until you reached one that read 2-F. You glanced at your phone - 3:04 pm. It was time. 

Letting out a soft sigh, you knocked gently on the door, jumping back when you heard a rather loud bark on just the other side of the thin wood. 

“Artoo!” you heard Luke’s voice chastise. You heard a quiet rustling sound, followed by a grunt, and then the door swung open to reveal Luke holding a writhing, tiny gray dog under his arm. 

“Hey, Lu-” you started to say, but you were interrupted by him grabbing your hand and pulling you inside, shutting the door behind you and pressing his back against it. 

“Hey,” he smiled. “Sorry about that.” 

He stooped down to set the dog onto the floor, and you smiled when it immediately came up to you, stubby tail wagging and tongue lolling out of its mouth. 

“It’s fine,” you chuckled, leaning down to pet the soft fur between its ears. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a gray french bulldog, and its mouth was open in a wide smile as its blue eyes glistened up at you. “I didn’t know that dogs were allowed on campus.”

“Well… Technically they’re not,” Luke responded sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I have a deal worked out with my roommate. He won’t tell anyone about my dogs if I let him have ‘alone time’ with his girlfriend a few times a week.”

“‘Dogs’?” you questioned, looking around. “There’s more than one?” 

Luke nodded and walked over to the twin bed pressed up against the far left wall. Squatting down, he held his hand out under that mattress, making cooing noises in what you assumed was an attempt to coax another canine out. You watched, stunned, as the head of a large golden retriever popped out, tentatively sniffing Luke’s fingers and licking them before looking up at you with wide brown eyes. 

“Threepio is shy,” the boy explained. “The vets say that he has some anxiety problems. SO he’ll be shy at first, but after a few minutes he warms up to you. Soon he’ll be jumping on you like Artoo is.” 

You smiled and walked over, kneeling down and letting the yellow dog sniff your hand as well. 

“Threepio and Artoo, huh? Those are some interesting names,” you observed, offering Luke a warm smile. 

“Yeah. I was a little drunk when I named them,” he chuckled. “One day, Han decided to drag me to a party I didn’t really want to go to. It was freshman year, and I snuck out while Han was dancing, and as I was walking back to our room I saw these guys, running along the sidewalk together with no collars. I took them back, since it was really cold out that night, and made posters in case their owner was looking for them, but I never got an answer. So I’ve kept them with me.”

You nodded your head, studying the boy’s face as he spoke. 

“That was very kind of you,” you observed, causing just the faintest of blushes to rise to his cheeks. 

“Aw, well. Who could say no to a face like this?” he asked, cupping Threepio’s face and scratching behind his ears. You could hear the dull thumping sound of his tail wagging against the floor, and you cautiously reached out to pet over his head. When he didn’t pull back, you started stroking along his neck, and you let out the smallest of giggles when his tongue snuck out to lick your wrist. 

“He likes you,” Luke observed. You felt your smile broaden, and you stood up as he did, nervously placing your hands in your pockets as you watched his eyes flicker over your face. 

“Promise not to tell anyone about my dog hoarding?” he asked. 

“Your secret’s safe with me,” you vowed, holding up your pinky finger. Chuckling, Luke reached his out as well, entwining it with your and shaking it up and down like he would with a handshake before pulling away again. 

“It’s a deal,” he declared. “Now. How about that tour I promised?” 

You quickly nodded, and he stepped over to his bedside table to grab his phone and keys, sticking them in his back pocket before picking up a gray beanie and pulling it onto his head.

“Shall we?” he prompted, holding an arm out towards his door. 

“We shall,” you replied, once more stepping out into the hallway. You waited as your companion locked his door behind him, and then you two were heading down the stairs as he gave you an outline of what your tour would include. 

“So, campus is really set up like a big circle. I thought it would be best if we start out here and work our way around. Sound good?”

“Sounds great,” you replied. You found yourself blushing the more you looked at the boy beside you, especially when he jogged forward a few steps to open the building’s door for you. Walking through, you offered him a simple “thanks” and peered up at the cloudy sky, wondering in the back of your mind if it was going to rain. 

“Well, you already know that this is Hall J,” he started out, pointing to the bronze sign next to the doors. “Halls H through L are dedicated to the men’s dorms, just like Halls M through Q are for women’s dorms.”

“Yeah; I live in Hall N,” you mentioned. Luke brightened up upon hearing this. 

“Leia is right next door to you, then, in Hall O,” he stated. 

“It sounds like you’re really close with your sister,” you observed, and he smiled brightly. 

“Yeah. She’s great. I mean, sure, we’ve had our arguments, but I’m pretty lucky to have her,” he said. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

With that, you started to talk about your respective families, you telling him about yours, and him telling you things Leia hadn’t mentioned the night before about his. 

“Yeah, Leia is a lot like our mom,” he told you. “They’re both very driven and passionate. Especially about politics. Trust me, you do NOT want to get into a debate with them. You’ll lose. They could win an argument about anything. Give my mom twenty minutes, and she can convince you that the sky is red and oxygen doesn’t exist.” 

You chuckled, looking at the dorm halls you two were passing by, each becoming progressively more and more ivy-covered. 

“I’ll think twice before arguing with them, then,” you chuckled. “What about your dad?” 

At the mention of his father, Luke’s eyebrows furrowed and he looked down at his feet, eyes tracing the cracks in the pavement. 

“He used to be in the army,” he simply said. You winced and cautiously set a hand on his shoulder, feeling bad for bringing up what was obviously a painful memory. 

“I’m sorry,” you muttered. “I didn’t mean to pry. I shouldn’t have-”

“No, no,” Luke interrupted, patting your hand with his. “No need to apologize. I just haven’t always had a great relationship with my dad. But recently he’s changed his ways, and things are getting better. Let’s just say that he made some bad choices a while back, but now he’s doing what he can to fix them.”

“Well I’m glad to hear that,” you said honestly. Luke offered you a small smile before turning his attention on a bigger, older building coming up on your left. 

“This, as you know, is the building that doubles as the Library and English Department. I’m sure that you’re familiar with it, Miss English Major,” he guessed. Hopping up the steps, he once more opened the door for you, and you thanked him as you walked through. 

“You remembered,” you observed. 

“Of course! I mean, you never said you were specifically majoring in English, but you did say you wanted to be an editor someday, right?” 

“That’s right,” you said. “I had some other interests that I thought about pursuing, but because of how crowded the other programs I looked into were, I ended up where I am now. But I don’t regret it. Maybe someday I’ll decide I don’t want to be an editor. But for now it’s pretty interesting.” 

“That’s great,” Luke commented, steering you towards the library’s glass doors. “Everyone should take classes that they enjoy. It makes the mandatory pre-reqs somewhat bearable, knowing that they’ll pay off eventually.”

“Oh, I know,” you assured him. 

“So are you in any clubs?” he asked, heading towards the nonfiction section. You wondered where he was taking you to, but you didn’t ask as you answered him. 

“Not so far.”

“Well, you should totally come to book club sometime,” Luke encouraged. “I promise we don’t read boring books. Right now we’re focusing on “Challenger Deep”. It’s an amazing book; I swear.” 

He stopped in the middle of the 400’s isle and flashed you a conspiratorial grin as he leaned closer to whisper to you. 

“Ok, so, I’m about to show you something awesome,” he whispered. His excitement was contagious, and you found your face echoing his bright expression. 

“Ok…” you whispered back. “What is it?”

With that, Luke walked down to the end of the isle, pulling you along with a gentle hand around your wrist. You gulped at the contact, but you didn’t react further as he tread over to the corner of where some shelves met. You frowned, wondering what was so special about the wall that lay between them, but as you got closer you saw a tiny opening between the shelves’ wooden frames, barely a yard wide. Winking at you from over his shoulder, Luke pulled you in to reveal a dimly-lit alcove, just hardly big enough to fit a table and a few chairs in its small space. Grinning, you stepped past Luke and looked around, noticing a few black bean bags sitting in the corner. 

“Pretty cool, huh?” your friend said, plopping down into a chair at the table. “Me, Han, and Leia discovered this place together one day when I’d dragged them to this section to look for some books on speaking French. Han had gone to lean on the wall when he fell into this place. Since then, this is our hangout spot for when we need to study.”

Grinning widely, you sunk down into one of the bean bags and leaned back against the wall. 

“This is so cool,” you exclaimed. “This is like those secret places you always dream of finding as a kid. LIke a cave or a bunker. It’s so awesome!” 

“I’m so glad you like it,” Luke said sincerely, standing up and walking over to sit in the bag next to yours. “Feel free to come here any time you need to study. Or just whenever you need a quiet place to hang out. I know that this is my go-to spot for when Lando brings his girls over.”

“Lando?” you questioned, unfamiliar with the name. 

“Oh! My roommate,” Luke explained. 

“Ah, I see.”

After a few more moments, you thought back to what Luke had said a few seconds ago and turned to him once more. 

“You said you were looking for books on French?”

“Oui, mademoiselle,” Luke grinned. “J'ai appris à parler français pendant ma première année ici.” 

You actually felt your heart flutter in your chest, and you blinked a few times before responding in a deadpan tone. 

“What?” 

“I learned to speak French during my first year here,” he translated. 

“Oh,” you blushed, looking down at your hands. It figured that the most dreamy boy you’d ever met ALSO spoke French, on top of everything else that was maddeningly amazing about him. 

“Tu es mignon quand tu rougis,” he continued, smirking. You narrowed your eyes at him in response. 

“I still have no idea what you just said,” you grumbled. He laughed and shook his head, setting his elbows on his knees. 

“Oh, nothing important,” he assured you. He tapped his feet a few times before hopping up once more, holding out a hand to help you get up. “Ready to continue the tour, then?” he asked. You accepted his hand and nodded, standing back up and looking around the little room once more before sliding out. 

“Do you speak anything else other than French?” you asked, walking once more through the aisle towards the library’s exit. 

“Spanish,” he replied. “My sister and I had a nanny for when Mom and Dad were away on business, and she was from Guatemala. So she taught us little tidbits until, several years later, we both were fluent.” 

“Huh,” you mused. You didn’t say anything else, but in the back of your mind you wondered more about what Luke’s homelife had been like growing up. 

Before you two could walk out, the librarian glanced up and beckoned Luke over with a manicured finger, grinning from under a thick pair of glasses and even thicker layer of red lipstick. 

“Well, if it isn’t Luke Skywalker,” she practically purred, leaning forward on her elbows. You narrowed your eyes but followed Luke over to the checkout desk, watching as he smiled politely at her. 

“Hey, MIss Walters,” he greeted, waving his hand a little. “You look lovely today as always.” 

She was one step away from preening from his comment, and you had to swallow down the bile that rose in your throat as you watched her. 

“Oh, stop,” she giggled. It was obvious that she hadn’t even noticed your presence, but you were surprised that she didn’t at least dial back her flirting just a little bit. She looked like she was old enough to be Luke’s mother. Had she no shame? 

“I think I’ll drop by book club sometime this week,” she remarked, and he offered her a small grin. 

“Great! I’ll look forward to seeing you there,” he smiled. Turning to you, he set his hand on your shoulder. “By the way, this is (Y/N). She’s a freshman here. I was just showing her around.”

“Oh! Lovely to meet you, dear,” she said, sticking out her hand. You shook it a few times, thankful that at least she was nice to you too, even though her eyes were a little less bright as she looked you over. 

“Well, I’ll leave you two to your tour,” she stated, turning back to her computer. “Make sure to stop by and see me again, Luke.”

“Of course,” he assured her. “I’ll see you soon.”

With that, he led you to the door, opening it once again for you. 

“So. I’m willing to bet you’re one of her favorite students,” you remarked, glancing over at him. 

“What do you mean?” he chuckled, arching an eyebrow at you. 

“Oh, come on,” you retorted. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice how she was flirting with you.”

“F-flirting?” he stuttered, looking at you incredulously. “No, I don’t think so. Miss Walters?”

“Yes,” you insisted, laughing at his surprised expression. “She was definitely flirting with you.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

“No! She’s, like… She’s old enough to be… No.”

“I’m telling you. She wanted some Luke lovin’,” you teased, causing him to groan and run a hand over his face. 

“God help me,” he moaned, but you could hear the distinct hint of a laugh within his tone. You only giggled as you opened the doors leading back outside, ready to continue your tour with Luke.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry for how long this took to update. I hope you like this chapter, though! As always, feel free to leave a comment telling me how you feel about it!

Stepping out of the library’s building, you gasped when a fat drop of rain hit your forehead, and you looked around to see similar drops falling slowly onto the pavement. It looked as if it had just started raining, and from the looks of the dark, angry clouds billowing above you, it was about to get much worse than the drizzle it was at now. 

“Huh,” Luke smiled, looking up at the sky. “The news said it was supposed to rain tomorrow. I guess the sky decided to show them up. Come on,” he said, tapping your shoulder. “I think the cafeteria should be our next stop.” 

You were about to reply, but a huge crash of thunder made both of you almost jump out of your skins, and rain suddenly started pelting you both as it poured down. 

“I’ll race you there!” you shouted, starting to run that way. It was already pretty cold outside without you getting soaked to the bone by the sudden storm, and you were eager to get somewhere dry before your clothes were completely saturated. Laughing, you watched Luke run beside you, keeping pace even though it looked like he was perfectly capable of leaving you behind. Grinning at you from the corner of his eyes, he sprinted with you to the doors of the dining hall, as always opening it for you before walking in himself. 

“Well,” he said, catching his breath. “The tour should probably be put on hold until after dinner, don’t you think?”

“That might be a good idea,” you agreed, gesturing to your shirt as it stuck to your skin. Luke blushed as he took in how it clung to your sides, and he looked away quickly, clearing his throat before speaking once more. 

“Let’s get in line before it gets too long, then,” he suggested, and you nodded your head in agreement. Walking over, you watched as Luke took his beanie off and shook his damp hair out, causing you to laugh. 

“I think your dogs are rubbing off on you,” you observed, eliciting a laugh from your new friend. 

“Probably,” he agreed. His shaggy hair was starting to curl up at the ends, and a strand of his bangs was hanging just over his eyes; you could feel your fingers itching to move it out of the way, but you kept your hands to yourself, not wanting to weird him out. 

After getting to the front of the line, you made yourself a plate, watching with an amused expression as Luke picked up enough food to comfortably feed two adults. 

“Hungry?” 

“I’m kind of always hungry,” he admitted sheepishly. “Leia says it’s ‘gluttonous and disgusting’.” 

“Well, it doesn’t bother me,” you chuckled. “Just makes me wonder how you stay so thin.” 

“A grade A metabolism,” he grinned. “And I box on the weekends.”

“Really?” you asked, letting him guide you to an empty table. “Boxing?” 

“Yep! I started back in high school,” he told you, sitting down and patting the space next to him for you to sit at. You complied, settling in and listening as he spoke. “I was kind of an angry kid back then, and it helped me blow off steam.” 

“You? Angry? That’s kind of hard to imagine,” you stated. 

“Well, I was going through a tough time,” he explained. “Some shit happened with my dad, and I was confused and upset at him.” 

“Do you mind me asking what happened?” you asked cautiously. 

“No, it’s fine,” he assured you. “He, um… He’d fought in the army, like I said before, and while he was there he became friends with a higher-ranking officer. He turned out to be a bad guy, and… Well. He manipulated my father into doing some pretty awful things. War crimes, actually.” 

“Oh, Luke,” you murmured, setting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” 

“It’s alright,” he said, setting his hand over yours. “Eventually, he came to his senses and turned the guy in; he’s in prison now, and my father is back home with my mom. Things are still rocky between us, but I’m glad to have him back.” 

“That’s good,” you nodded. “I mean, that you don’t want him to stay away. It’s very good of you.” 

Smiling, he shrugged. 

“I don’t know about that. But I do know that he’s making my mom happy, and I have a chance to get to know my dad now. He was gone almost all my life, so he’s kind of a stranger to me.” 

“What do you know about him?”

“Well… I know that I look more like him than my mom,” he said. “He’s where I get my hair and eyes from, whereas Leia and Mom look more alike. I know he’s really good at engineering, like me. He’s actually what inspired me to work on prosthetics; he lost his arm in combat, and he’s always complaining about how his new hand is uncomfortable and clunky. Um… I know he likes dogs, too. He was very proud when he found out I was hiding Threepio and Artoo.

“And… From what Mom and Mr. Kenobi say, he used to be a fun person to be around; he liked to joke and laugh and make others smile. Nowadays, he kind of walks on eggshells around me and Leia, so we haven’t seen that side of him.” 

“Why is he nervous with you guys?” you asked. 

“He probably doesn’t want to set us off. We’ve both had our respective fights with him,” Luke admitted. 

“Well. The good thing is that, if he is nervous, then it shows that he wants you guys to get along. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t be that way with you,” you considered. Smiling, Luke nodded at you and took a bite of his sandwich, thinking about what you’d said. 

“You’re right,” he said after swallowing his bite. “That is a positive of the whole situation; I think he really is sorry for everything he’s done. I mean, him and mom moved back to Coruscant to be closer to us while we’re in school, so that’s a good sign.” 

“Where were you guys at before?” 

“Dad is from New Mexico, out in the desert. He moved here after his mom died, though, and met my mom while he was in high school. They got married and had us, and for the first few years of our lives we lived here in the city. But after my dad left, Mom moved us out to Arizona,” Luke said. 

“What was that like?”

“Dry,” he chuckled. “There was no rain; we kind of lived in the desert. I like it here much better.” 

“So this weather is perfect for you,” you smiled, pointing out the window to indicate the storm that was still going on strong. 

“Oh, yeah,” he grinned. “I could stand out there all day. I’d probably get a few weird looks, though.” 

“Probably,” you agreed. 

For a few seconds, you two ate in companionable silence, listening to the sound of the rain. Luke, true to his word, consumed all of his food as you finished yours off slowly, and you were both done at about the same time. 

“That doesn’t look like it’s letting up anytime soon,” he fretted. “For once, I’m not too thrilled about the weather.” 

“Does the Best Tour Ever have to be put off until a better day?” you asked, hoping his answer was no. Luckily, your hopes paid off when you saw Han and Leia walk into the cafeteria together, looking as if they were bickering over something. 

“Oh, no,” Luke said mischievously. “The tour must go on. Luckily, Han owes me a favor. C’mon.” 

In a fluid motion, Luke stood up and took both of your trays, carrying them over to the trash before motioning for you to follow him over to Han. 

“Hey, friend,” Luke greeted, waving at the man and Leia. 

“Oh, god,” his friend groaned. “You only call me that when you want something.” Looking past Luke, he looked you up in down before saying, “And I see you finally asked her ou-”

“I need this,” Luke suddenly interrupted, snatching a still-wet umbrella from Han’s hand. 

“What? No you do not,” he scoffed, reaching to take it back. 

“Ohhhh, no. You owe me a favor, remember?” Luke grinned. 

“I don’t owe you nothin’,” Han insisted, rolling his eyes. 

“Oh. Well, then, I suppose you won’t mind if I post those pictures we took during our weekend in Bespin.” 

A sudden look of horror mixed with anger flooded Han’s expression, and he jabbed a finger into Luke’s chest. 

“You listen here, you little shit-:”

“Han, let him have it,” Leia laughed, poking his shoulder. “The storm will let up by the time we’re done eating. By the way, hi, (Y/N),” she said, waving. “I see you and my brother are getting to know each other.” 

Han smirked and opened his mouth to say something about that, but Luke was quick to grab your hand and start tugging you away, a fierce blush rising to his cheeks. 

“Well, it was great to see you guys, but we have to be going now,” he explained. “I’ll see you both later. Love ya, sis!” 

With that, he turned and almost dragged you to the exit as you laughed at his reaction. 

“Ok, I have many questions,” you giggled, watching as Luke stepped outside with you and opened the large umbrella. 

“Oh, god,” he groaned. “If it’s about the weekend in Bespin, they’re better left unanswered. TRUST me.”

“I won’t ask that one, then,” you smiled, scooting close as you two walked to stay out of the heavy spray of rain. “Firstly, are Han and Leia dating?” 

“That is a complicated one,” Luke smiled, glancing at you from the corner of his eye. “They’ve been on-again, off-again for a while. They’re just two very strong-willed people, you know? But, if you want my opinion, I think this time it’s gonna last.” 

“Really? Why’s that?” 

“Han is the type to have a different girlfriend each week,” he explained. “He was like that when we first met. But, ever since meeting my sister, he hasn’t even looked at another girl. Even when they’re ‘taking a break’. He’s serious about her.”

“And how does she feel?” 

“If she didn’t care about him, she would’ve stopped putting up with his shit a loooong time ago,” he chuckled. “She’s always been straightforward about stuff like that. If she doesn’t like you, then she doesn’t bother hanging around.” 

“Huh. Is it weird for you? Your best friend and your sister?” 

“Surprisingly, not really,” he said. “It makes sense, honestly. It’s hard for me to imagine them not being together; the three of us are always doing something, you know?” 

Smiling, you nodded, not saying anything until you got to the next building, which Luke was particularly excited about. 

“This is where all the science courses are taught,” he stated. “I spend most of my time in there. We could go in, but it’s just a bunch of labs and classrooms - not very interesting.” 

For the next twenty minute, the two of you kept walking around the loop of the campus, Luke telling you funny stories about things he’d done or seen on certain parts of the grounds (like the time his friend Biggs lost a dare and had to swim in one of the fountains). You were standing outside your dorms before you knew it, and your heart gave a little twinge of disappointment when you realized you’d have to leave him soon. 

“Well. That concludes Luke Skywalker’s Best Tour Ever,” he chuckled, stopping at the door. “Thank you for hanging out with me.” 

“No, thank you,” you replied. “It was very informative. And,” you blushed, hesitating for a second before finishing your thought. “And I had fun spending time with you.” 

Granting you one of his bright grins, he nodded and set his hand on your upper arm. 

“Maybe we could do it again sometime soon?” he suggested. “I have classes all day tomorrow, but we could meet to study together in the evening sometime.”

Wincing, you told him, “I can’t tomorrow evening. I have to work. But the next day works fine.” 

“Alright then,” he agreed. “How about we meet in the library nook at around 7, then?” 

“That sounds perfect.” 

“Great!” Tentatively, Luke pulled you into a hug before taking a step back. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again.”

“You, too,” you agreed, grinning at him before opening your door and stepping inside. Leaning back against its surface, you smiled up at the ceiling, trying to calm the erratic beating of your heart. 

Two days couldn’t pass soon enough.


	7. Chapter 7

Two days passed by agonizingly slowly; you tried to keep your hands and mind busy so you weren’t thinking about it too much, but whenever you caught a thought of Luke flashing through your mind, it felt like you were counting the minutes until you could see your new friend again. Lora wouldn’t stop teasing you about it, texting you every now and then to ask if your future husband had said anything else to you. Every time she did this, you would just roll your eyes and either ignore her messages or send her the middle finger emoji. Either way, you were sure she was laughing at your expense. 

Little did you know, though, that Luke was getting the same treatment from Han and Leia. Both of them were sending not-so-subtle remarks his way, all about the girl he couldn’t stop smiling over. 

Eventually, though, the two days were up, and you found yourself walking into the library at seven o’clock on the dot with a familiar set of butterfly wings fluttering around in your belly. Making your way through the 400’s section, you swallowed down your nervousness and slid into the secret alcove to find Luke sitting at the table with textbooks and notepads scattered in front of him. 

“Hey, there,” you greeted, watching as his head popped up. 

“Hi,” he smiled. “How’re you?” 

“I’m good,” you answered, taking a seat in front of him. “And how are you?” 

“Great! I’ve been looking forward to our study date,” he said, causing a blush to come to your cheeks. 

“Me too,” you admitted. 

“Although, if I’m being honest, I’m more looking forward to the “date” part than the “studying”,” he chuckled. Picking up a stack of flashcards, he let out a heavy sigh. “This stuff is...hard.” 

“I bet,” you nodded, taking some of your own binders out of your backpack. Your heart was still pounding from when he’d called this a date, and you wondered if it was possible that he liked you as much as you liked him. Is that what he really wanted? To date you? “Is there anything I can do to help you?” 

“Well… Maybe help me go over definitions?” he asked, smiling shyly. “We can take turns quizzing one another for our different classes. If you’d like.” 

“That sounds good,” you affirmed, drawing out some flashcards you’d made for your history class. “Alright. You first.” 

With that, Luke handed you his stack, and you started struggling to pronounce some of the complex terms, none of which you knew the definition of. Luke, however, knew most of them, only getting tripped up on a few. 

“Ok, but how do you know these things?” you asked after getting through all of the cards. “Like… What even is a…” Squinting at the top card, you slowly pronounced the word on it. “Oncomouse?” 

“It’s basically just a mouse scientists use to research cancer,” Luke replied with a laugh. “Not that complex.” 

“Still! You know so much,” you commended. 

“Well you know quite a bit, too,” he insisted. Reaching for your cards, he looked them over with raised eyebrows. “These, for example, are way over my head.” 

“Well… They’re pretty simple,” you shrugged. “History is mostly just memorization.” Sitting back in your chair, you looked around the room. “Let’s take a break before we keep studying,” you suggested. 

“Sounds like a good idea,” he agreed, picking his bag up from where he’d placed it on the ground. “I brought snacks!” With that, he started pulling granola bars and fruit snacks out of his bag, more than enough for the both of you. 

“Goodness,” you laughed. “How much do you think I eat?” 

“It’s not about how much you eat,” he shrugged. “More like how much I will.” Tearing open a bar, he took a big bite out of it, leaning back and crossing his legs as he watched you. Shifting in your chair, you frantically tried to think of something to say to break the silence. A thought popped up in your head, and you straightened up as you asked Luke a question. 

“The other day, you said something to me in French,” you said. “What was it?” 

Laughing, Luke flashed you one of his dazzling smiles. 

“What do you think I said? I’d like to hear a guess.” 

“Hmmm…” You thought for a second, chewing on your lip absentmindedly. Luke’s eyes flickered down to watch the movement, and you cleared your throat, drawing his eyes back up to yours. “What about ‘I’m Luke and I like speaking in foreign languages to confuse people’.” 

“No, not quite,” he chuckled. 

“How about ‘I like to flirt with librarians who are decades older than me’?” 

“Oh, come on,” he groaned. “I don’t flirt with her! I’m just being nice.” 

“Mmm, sure,” you drawled. “Ok, I have no more guesses. I give up.” 

“I said,” Luke murmured, looking into your eyes, “that you’re cute when you blush.” 

As if summoning the blood to your cheeks, his words caused a flush to spread over your features, and you looked down. 

“O-oh,” you stuttered. 

“Look, you’re doing it now,” he smiled, leaning forward to set his elbows on the table. 

“Shut up!” you exclaimed, covering your cheeks with your hands. Luke laughed softly at the display, and you felt one of his hands close around your wrist, pulling it away gently. 

“I’m sorry,” he stated with a kind smile. “Am I making you uncomfortable? That truly isn’t my intention.” 

Your gaze softening, you felt a wave of boldness suddenly wash over you, and you let your hand fall to his, holding it loosely. Biting your lip, you searched his face for any sign that the touch wasn’t welcome, but his smile only grew, and he turned his hand over to grip yours a little tighter. 

“I’m not uncomfortable,” you assured him. “I… I like you.” 

“I like you, too,” Luke muttered softly. “A lot.” 

A wave of euphoric relief and happiness overtook you, and you couldn’t stop a grin from coming to your face, so wide it hurt your cheeks. 

“You...you do?” 

“I do,” he confirmed. “I do consider myself to be nice, but I wouldn’t offer to give just anyone a tour in the rain.” 

Chuckling a little, you looked down at your hand that was currently holding his, feeling the callouses that had formed on the tips of his fingers. 

“Well…” you said hesitantly. “If you like me, and I like you, then this really is a study ‘date’ then.” 

“It is. And that’s ok with you?” 

“It’s wonderful.” 

Still smiling widely, Luke looked between you and the flashcards still resting on the table before speaking. 

“You know, I would much rather learn about you than engineering. How about we ditch our responsibilities as students and go get coffee?” 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” you laughed, pulling your hand away from his to start packing your things up once again. Luke did the same, and soon you two were walking out of the library, hands brushing as you walked. 

“So I think we should play one of those cliche games where we take turns asking the other questions,” Luke stated, heading with you towards the coffee shop. 

“Alright,” you chuckled. “What sort of questions?” 

“Well, ones that are important. Things you feel like you should know about me and, likewise, important things about you that I should know.”

“So asking what your favorite color is wouldn’t be a good use of a question?” 

“It’s green, and no it wouldn’t be. But you asked it nonetheless, so it’s my turn now,” he smirked. “What was your first kiss like?”

Blushing at the memory, you told him who it was with, wincing as you did so. 

“In hindsight, it wasn’t the best of kisses,” you admitted. “But at the time it was a...special moment.” 

“That’s how mine was,” he said. “It was actually with Biggs, the friend I was telling you about who went swimming in the fountain. I thought I was in love with him.” 

“Oh,” you said, eyebrows raising in surprise. “So you’re bisexual?” 

“Pansexual,” he answered. “Does that bother you?” 

“Not at all!” you exclaimed quickly. “No, it doesn’t bother me one bit. I just didn’t know.”

He smiled once more at you, and you knew that you’d said the right thing. 

“Good to hear,” he answered. 

“So did you two ever date?” you asked. 

“Oh, no,” Luke chuckled, looking down at his shoes. “Never. I grew to realise that I only wanted him as a friend, and he’d always felt that way, so nothing ever came of it. That actually happened with Han too.” 

“Oh, goodness. Did Leia know?” 

“She did, yeah. She actually tried to set us up at one point,” he said, smiling fondly at the memory. “But, as she learned more about him, she found herself falling for him instead. And I, in turn, found out that he wasn’t really right for me. I’m SO glad that never happened.” 

You nodded, leading him into the cafe, all the while focusing on what he was saying and the times when his hand would accidentally touch yours. 

“Well it’s my turn to ask you something,” you reminded him as the two of you waited in line to order. 

“It is,” he confirmed. 

“Is there a place you’ve always wanted to visit? To travel to? And if so, why?” 

“Hm…” Luke paused for a moment, turning your question over in his head. 

“I think France,” he answered finally. “Paris. Not just because it’s a beautiful city, but...well, honestly I’d like to see the old churches, especially Notre Dame. I’m not really very religious myself, but old religions do fascinate me. And architecture is kind of a distant cousin to engineering, so I’d like to look at the buildings there that have been around for so long.” 

You smiled at that. Of course that would be his answer, something so smart and unique. Stepping forward in line, you told him about the places you’d always longed to see until you found yourself ordering your drink of choice. He got one of the most sugary beverages the cafe served, in turn, and paid for both of your orders, shushing you when you tried to protest. 

“If we’re gonna date,” he said, leading you to a table by a window, “you’ll have to get used to me paying. I like taking care of people I care about.” 

You couldn’t help but smile and blush at that, but you felt the need to protest once more. 

“Well, while I appreciate that,” you said, “I would like to take care of you, too. So let me pay too every now and then?” 

“...I guess,” he finally agreed, and you gave him a wide grin. 

After your drinks were brought out to you, you continued your game, going back and forth, learning about the other. Everything you found out about Luke made you like him a little bit more. And he seemed to be having the same experience, going by how his eyes twinkled every time you offered up something new about yourself. 

Much too soon, Luke was looking down at his phone, tsking. 

“It got a lot later than I thought it was,” he observed, smiling sheepishly. “Time flies, doesn’t it?” 

“Yeah,” you nodded. “When you’re having fun.” 

He winked at you and put his phone back into his pocket, looking around the cafe. 

“I guess it’s time I escort you back to your room, huh?” he asked, and you reluctantly nodded. 

“I guess,” you replied, standing up and slinging your bag over your shoulder. “I don’t think the people who work here would appreciate us staying all night. I know if it happened on my shift I’d kick us out.” 

Taking your hand once more, Luke led you out into the night, and you smiled as you listened to the crickets. They hadn’t turned in for the winter just yet, and you were grateful. You’d always liked listening to them as you fell asleep. 

The walk back to your dorm was spent in companionable silence, the two of you just enjoying the other’s company until your doorway loomed ahead of you. 

“Well, this is it,” Luke observed, coming to a stop at the bottom of the steps. 

“It is,” you nodded, looking at his face, taking in his blue irises, dark in the low lighting. The small smile that tugged at his lips, the way that he seemed to be perfectly at peace in that moment. You didn’t realize you were leaning closer until you felt his breath on your face, and then, before you could even think through what was happening, he kissed you. 

The kiss was short, but it was soft and warm, and your hands rested on his shoulders as your eyes drifted closed, feeling his lips on yours. After a few moments it ended, but you could still feel the warmth he’d left behind. 

“That felt very...right,” he whispered. 

“Like it was supposed to happen,” you agreed, opening your eyes once more. Offering you one last grin, Luke pecked your cheek before taking a step back. 

“I’ll see you soon?” he asked, even though your answer was obvious. 

“You will, Luke.”


End file.
